CRT-D replacement strategy: results of the BioCONTINUE study

Background: In patients with cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators (CRT-Ds), the need for implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) back-up may be questionable at time of CRT-D replacement (REP) if ICD implant criteria are no longer met due to an improved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and if no major ventricular arrhythmic event (VAE) occurred during the CRT-D lifetime. The aim of our study was to assess the relevance of ICD back-up and predictors of VAE after REP in primary prevention CRT-D patients.

Methods: The prospective, observational, international BioCONTINUE study investigated the rate of patients with at least 1 sustained VAE (sVAE) post-REP and searched for predictive factors of sVAE.

Results: Two hundred seventy-six patients (70 ± 10 years, 77% men, mean LVEF 40.6 ± 12.6%) were followed for 28.4 ± 10.2 months. The rate of patients with sVAE was 8.3%, 10.3%, and 21.2% at 1, 2, and 4 years post-REP. Patients without persistent ICD indication at REP still had a sVAE rate of 5.7% (95% CI 2.3-11.5%) at 2 years. In multivariate analysis, predictive factors of subsequent sVAE were (i) persistent ICD indication (hazard ratio (HR) 3.6; 95% CI 1.6-8.3; p = 0.003); (ii) 64-72 years of age as compared to ≥ 79 years (HR 3.7; 95% CI 1.4-9.7; p = 0.008); and (iii) ischemic heart disease (HR 4.4; 95% CI 2.1-9.3; p < 0.0001).

Conclusions: The risk of sVAE (21.2% at 4 years post-REP) depends on age, ischemic heart disease, and ICD indication at the time of REP. A non-trivial risk of sVAE remains in patients without persistent ICD indication.

Clinical trial registration: NCT02323503.